You’ve decided you want to eliminate those nasty body toxins and poisons you’ve heard so much about. A detoxification diet is just what you need. Stay away from processed foods, refined sugars, eating only natural and pure food; what better way to detox?

Not all ‘detox diets’ are good for you. With the growing infomercials and magazines ads promising detoxification through lemonade diets, prune diets, and liquid only diets, it’s hard to know what really works and what doesn’t. The book stores and flea markets also have shelves and totes full of ‘expert diet’ books and each author has his or her own idea of the perfect detox diet. Not to mention the thousands of teas and supplements guaranteed to ‘shed pounds and eliminate waste’ in a 7-day span of time.

There are a few things you need to know before beginning any type of detoxification program. Unfortunately, most natural detox diets have very little real scientific support. Most are very constraining, and some can even do you more harm than good. Although the concern regarding the amount of toxins we put into our bodies is warranted, it is imperative to understand exactly what detoxification is and what to know before undergoing any type of program.

Detoxification

We all know that each time we drink a diet soda, or eat anything with a ‘sugar substitute’; we are putting man-made chemicals into our body. Toxins are chemicals that could potentially be harmful to our bodies. We can get these toxins from smog and other things in the air we breathe, as well as everyday things we consume such as:

– caffeine
– sugar
– water
– alcohol
– chemicals and pesticides used in the preparation and/or growth of food

It is believed that these toxins enter into and are held in our lymph, digestive and gastrointestinal systems. Some toxins stay in our hair and skin as well. Certain toxins can cause issues such as headaches, fatigue, and nausea, as well as a long list of chronic illnesses.

The sole purpose of a detox diet to help rid the body of toxins. In order to achieve detoxification, you basically give up particular foods and liquids, which are sometimes referred to as fasting. Then, after a set period of time, you reintroduce these foods and liquids back into your system. A common example is to begin with a span of two or three days where you consume certain liquids only. After this, you only eat certain foods for another specified amount of days; foods like steamed vegetables, fruits, and brown rice only. Over the course of a couple of weeks, you gradually add other foods back into your body, forgoing things like sugar, red meat, and junk foods.

A more natural detoxification diet consists of water, organic foods, and liquids. Processed and refined foods, caffeine, alcohol, drugs, and tobacco or not allowed. Some of the more popular detoxification diets include:

– Raw Food Diet
– Fat Flushing Diet
– Liver Cleansing Diet
– Master Cleanse
– Lemonade Diet

Author Bio: I write for TIR Massage Stone about hot stone massage and massage stone therapy including hot and cold applications.

Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet
Keywords: detoxification,detox diets,detoxification program